Training to combat accidental oil pollution from 21st to 23rd September 2010

20-09-2010-

On the initiative of the Monaco Fire Department, the Division of the Maritime and Airport Police and the Department of Maritime Affairs, and with the support of the Department of the Civil Service and Human Resources, a training course on the methods of combating accidental oil pollution is to be conducted among executives from these three governmental services.

Consequently, over a three-day period, executives from the Monegasque services will take part in a course at the Condamine Station hosted by engineers from the Brest-based CEDRE (Centre de Documentation, de Recherches et d’Expérimentations sur les Pollutions Accidentelles des Eaux), during which they will have to co-ordinate operations to combat this type of pollution.

The programme will focus on three areas:- Anti-pollution framework and the general principles (anti-pollution strategies, oil behaviour, pollution assessment);- Oil containment and recovery - Onshore anti-pollution (organisation of projects, cleaning the coast, presentation of concrete cases).

The latter point will involve two practical drills, one in Fontvieille Harbour (installing a floater to protect Fontvieille Harbour), the other on Larvotto Beach (installing a oil recovery system for accidental offshore spill).

In addition to Monaco’s POLMAR plan (implemented in 2006), the aim of this training is to provide government staff with the latest knowledge on oil pollution control, in the light of the maritime traffic off the coast of Monaco and more generally in the Mediterranean.